555 12th St NW
Washington DC
Spring 2021 - Present
In the Spring of 2021, during the international health crises that destabilized economies and small business around the world, Cre8tive Capacity forged a partnership with Metlife to activate their vacant retail spaces starting with District Center. Ultimate Accentz serves as a show room for accent walls, original art, furnishings, and design concepts while serving as a back drop for podcasts and video conferences.
Ultimate Accentz
429 L'Enfant Plaza SW
Washington DC
Summer 2019 - Present
During the summer of 2019, another collaboration with JBG Smith was launched to transform an underutilized 2,800 sq. ft. space inside L'Enfant Plaza Mall into a cocktail lounge offering delicious Craft Cocktails made from fresh fruits and juices, and DC staples including real Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes and Smoked Wings w/ Mumbo Sauce.
Adult coloring books and crayons are always at the bar, giant jenga is always in the corner, a live jazz band is playing every Thursday, patrons are supers stars every Friday singing karaoke, and friends and family are enjoying the taste of brunch every Sunday.
After operating Pop Local for a quarter, we expanded our inventory to capture the heavy and consistent tourist traffic at L'Enfant by adding an array of standard gifts and souvenirs to the sales floor... making Pop Local the pop up that keeps on popping, and rebranding to DC Gift Gallery featuring locally made products.
L’Enfant Plaza Shopping Mall
Downtown DC
Spring 2018 – Present
Pop Local
L’Enfant Plaza Shopping Mall
Downtown DC
Fall 2017 - Spring 2018
Cre8tive Capacity collaborated with JBG Smith to activate and monetize a vacant retail space that had been vacant for years on the L’Enfant Plaza Promenade. We launched a 2,800 sq. ft. boutique style pop up shop offering only products locally made in the DMV from over 60 different brands.
In addition to providing the land lord a Plug & Play retail solution, Pop Local made brick and mortar retail placement accessible for local entrepreneurs and small businesses who face many barriers to getting into the market place at a prime location.
Cre8tive Capacity collaborated with MRP Realty to create a cultural anchor in a 3,200 sq. ft. space on the retail level of its 12 story, mixed used residential building, located across the street from Nationals Park. Cre8tive Capacity curated a series of events engaging residents and the general public. We also installed accent walls in the building retail hallways, 3 hand painted murals on the parking levels, and over 100 ft of temporary murals on the exterior. Over 6,700 people where engaged at the venue over a six-month period of events.
Paisley Pier
Dock 79
DC Riverfront
Fall 2018
Future Arts
Union Market
NE Washington DC
Spring 2017 – Spring 2020
Cre8tive Capacity collaborated with DB Lee Development to temporarily activate and monetize its vacant spaces with pop up art, entertainment, and marketplace offerings until the building is reconstructed into a hotel.
CC programmed about 15k of the 40k sq. ft. building, split generated revenue with the owner, and installed art murals on the rooftop.
The Cre8tive Capacity company was actually birthed from an experiment powered by local non profit 8 Arts and Culture: What happens when you provide creative entrepreneurs and creative sector small businesses a coworking space that comes with back end support and technical assistance? This was a natural next step after operating a 4,000 sq. ft. maker space - help creatives manage the business side of being creative.
We wanted to find out so we launched a pop up in an art gallery + event space where we produced showcase events, technical assistance, professional development workshops, and community based programs supporting creative business operations. Over 175 entrepreneurs, over 300 users, and 30 small businesses where impacted. The Cre8tive Capacity brand stuck so we formed the company and kept it moving.
Cre8tive Capacity
Innov8te
Buzzard Point
Washington DC Riverfront
Summer 2015 – 2017
The inspiration for Cre8tive Capacity came from activating the 4,000 sq. ft. Matthew Henson Conservation Center, owned by National Park Service. It had been vacant for a while so we transformed it into a maker space to provide production space, specialized equipment, and technical assistance to local artisans, and creative entrepreneurs. We even built an indoor aquaponics system that grew fresh produce working with a local engineer. Over 15 small businesses where housed, over 75 entrepreneurs received support, and over 7,000 people where engaged via our events.